My lop-eared rabbit beastman’s latest post had gone viral. The title alone hit like a punch to the

[00:00:05]My lop-eared rabbit beastman's latest post had gone viral. The title alone hit like a punch to the gut. I think my owner's sister got me pregnant. What do I do?

[00:00:15]I was halfway through putting up his sale listing when the comments started pouring in. Don't sell him. He's just dumb. He doesn't know rabbits can have phantom pregnancies.

[00:00:25]He loves you the most. He just got confused. He had a little crush on Chloe and mistook it for the real thing. If you let him go now, you will regret it.

[00:00:34]Chloe's unread messages were still glaring at me from my notifications.

[00:00:39]Your beastman just texted me saying he's pregnant and expects me to step up. What the hell is going on? He got pregnant from two kisses?

[00:00:48]I thought about it for a second, then opened his sale listing and changed mated male to virgin. Then I texted Chloe back. You want him? If not, I'll find another buyer.

[00:00:59]It was late. Chloe still hadn't replied.

[00:01:03]I grabbed a jacket and headed out. I barely made it to the front door before Oliver shuffled out of the bedroom, rubbing his eyes. His gray rabbit ears drooped limply along the sides of his face. He looked perfectly harmless.

[00:01:17]Hazel, where are you going? It's the middle of the night. I looked at him for a beat. For some reason that almost made me laugh. Just heading out. I didn't wait for a response. The door was already closing behind me. The convenience store down the block was still open. I grabbed two beers and found a bench. I was halfway through the first can when Chloe finally texted back. She was pissed. Sell?

[00:01:44]He says he's pregnant with my kid and you're putting him on the market. I can't with you. I literally told you not to pick up random strays off the street, but did you listen? Look at this mess.

[00:01:54]He's He's walking disaster. I got wasted on my birthday one time and he latched on to me.

[00:02:01]He came on to me by the way. Wouldn't stop going on about how much he liked me and I know we didn't even do anything.

[00:02:08]Two kisses. That's it. God, I'm never drinking again. I sat with her messages for a while just staring at them. Then I sighed and typed back, "$100,000."

[00:02:20]"If you want him, I'll give you the friends and family discount." Chloe shot back almost instantly, "How much is the friends and family discount?"

[00:02:28]"$200,000."

[00:02:31]Chloe's reply was a single question mark. I broke it down for her. Think about it. He's pregnant with your kid so it's basically buy one get a whole litter free. You know how rabbits are.

[00:02:43]Honestly, you're getting a bargain.

[00:02:45]Chloe fired back, "Hazel, $200,000 for a stray?

[00:02:51]Is money literally all you think about?"

[00:02:54]I sent her a payment link without a word. A shadow fell across my screen.

[00:02:58]The night breeze dragged in the sour stink of unwashed fur. I locked my phone and looked up. A rat beast man stood in front of me, his long tail swaying behind him. His eyes flicked from my phone to my face, quick and calculating.

[00:03:14]He rubbed his hands together. "Hey miss, got something real special. Rare breed.

[00:03:20]The kind you won't find on the open market. Price to move tonight. Want to take a look?" He didn't wait for an answer. His phone was already in my face. The photo zoomed in and glowing.

[00:03:32]Inside a filthy glass tank, chained at the wrists in rusted iron. Was that a merman? Maybe it was the beer. Either way, I was curious. They were keeping him in the basement right beside the convenience store. The rusted shutter groaned open. Inside, the merman was curled up in murky water, dead still like he hadn't even heard us come in.

[00:03:55]The rat beast man jammed a stun baton into the tank, sending a jolt through the water. "Hey, got a buyer here. Quit playing dead and get over here. Let her see your face." The merman convulsed, then went limp. Slowly, obediently, he uncurled and pressed himself flat against the glass. The second I got a clear look at his face, I forgot to breathe. His skin was porcelain white, sharp cheekbones, deep-set eyes, a jawline that could cut glass, and lips so pale they almost disappeared into his face. Pale gold curls fell past his waist, tangled and matted with tank water. But his eyes were what stopped me. Sapphire blue, completely empty, and still, somehow, he had the kind of face that made you want to save him. "So, you know what a face like that would go for on the luxury market? Seven figures, easy.

[00:04:51]But hey, call it fate. I'll let him go tonight for 200 grand." I raised an eyebrow at him. So, that was his angle.

[00:04:59]He clocked the number on my phone screen and decided $200,000 was his tonight.

[00:05:05]Real talk, if he had legitimate paperwork, you wouldn't even be able to afford the deposit. I shrugged and smiled. "Pass. Find another sucker."

[00:05:15]He trailed after me, still pitching.

[00:05:18]"Don't walk away, miss. A merman like this, once he's yours, you can do whatever you want with him.

[00:05:24]Merman heal fast, real fast. So, if you ever need to blow off some steam, he can take it.

[00:05:31]Or maybe you're into music. This one's got a voice like an angel. And get this, merman have barbs." I was halfway out the door. Behind me, the rat beast man gave up and let out a long breath. He'd already written off the sale when the water behind us erupted. The merman had thrown himself against the glass, palms flat, water still sloshing behind him.

[00:05:56]His eyes found mine, wide, raw, terrified, and his voice came out broken and halting. "Please, save me."

[00:06:06]That voice hit something in me. I stopped, turned back. His eyelids were raw and red. The desperation in his eyes wasn't an act.

[00:06:15]He was looking at me the way a drowning man looks at a hand reaching into the water. My face gave him nothing. A heavy beat passed. Whatever hope had flickered behind his eyes went out, and his tail went still. I turned to the rat beast man. "I'll take him."

[00:06:32]The truck pulled into my courtyard just as the sky started to lighten. The tank's strapped to the flatbed. My head was pounding from the all-night. I stood off to the side, dragging on a cigarette to keep my eyes open. The noise brought Oliver out in his pajamas. He looked rough, faint dark circles under his eyes, like he hadn't slept much either.

[00:06:54]The second he spotted the cigarette, his whole face scrunched up, and he backed away. "Hazel, I've told you a hundred times, don't smoke around me. It's gross. And where were you all night? You never came home," he muttered. "You said you were just heading out. You haven't left the house in days. What could you possibly have to do at midnight?" The workers hauled the cloth-covered tank off the truck. It hit the ground with a crash that rattled the courtyard.

[00:07:21]Oliver's ears shot straight up. He stared at the tank, bristling. "WH What is that?"

[00:07:27]He wouldn't go near it. Instead, he whipped around to glare at me. "What did you bring home?" The rat beast man sidled up beside me. "Your rabbit's not bad looking either, miss."

[00:07:39]He was already rubbing his hands together again. Any interest in flipping him?

[00:07:44]Oliver exploded. What did you just say?

[00:07:47]You filthy rat. Say that again and I'll have Hazel skin you alive. You can't just go around trying to buy people. His eyes were blazing when he turned to me.

[00:07:57]Hazel, where did you even find this creep? I was already looking at my phone. Chloe had finally texted back.

[00:08:04]She'd come pick him up later today.

[00:08:06]Yeah, I said not looking up. Don't bother with that one. Oliver puffed up, ears twitching, a smug edge creeping into his glare. Then I finished the thought. Didn't you see the listing last night? You've already been sold.

[00:08:21]I told the workers to leave the tank in the living room and went straight to my room. Oliver trailed after me, jaw tight. I could hear him breathing hard behind me, practically shaking with it.

[00:08:33]I didn't look at him once. He finally snapped. What the hell is that back there? What do you mean you sold me?

[00:08:40]You're not even going to answer me? You walk around like you're carved out of ice. Would it kill you to feel something? God, how did I end up with an owner like you? I sat down at my desk and woke up the computer. The tab I'd left open last night was still there.

[00:08:56]The screen still showed Oliver's post.

[00:08:58]The engagement counter was still climbing. Most beast men were loyal to a fault and the comment section had torn into him over it. Buried in the thread, Oliver had replied last night. Don't yell at me.

[00:09:11]I know what I did was wrong.

[00:09:13]I only posted because I don't know what to do about this baby. The top comment didn't hold back. If you want to stay with Hazel, get rid of it. If you want to find a new home, go find Chloe and see if she'll even take you.

[00:09:27]Chloe had told me last night Oliver had gone to her and asked her to step up.

[00:09:32]He'd already chosen to leave me. So, why was he standing here throwing a tantrum?

[00:09:37]I propped my chin on my hand. Oliver was standing across the desk from me, his face flushed. I looked up at him. I swiveled the monitor to face him. Why are you showing me? His eyes followed where I was pointing. The words died in his throat. He opened his mouth, but nothing came out. The flush drained from his face until there was no color left at all. When he finally spoke, his voice sounded like it belonged to someone else. To this wasn't me. You don't actually think I posted this, do you?

[00:10:09]Enough.

[00:10:10]I leaned back in my chair and let the silence sit. Chloe messaged me. You know exactly what you said to her.

[00:10:17]Oliver's eyes welled up again. So, that's it? You saw the post and decided to get rid of me.

[00:10:24]He barely got the words out. Outside, a sports car roared up to the curb. A second later, my phone lit up. Chloe, I'm out front. Bring him out. God, I'm so pissed. I didn't sleep at all last night because of this.

[00:10:40]Got it. I typed back. He'll be down in a minute. Oliver stared at me. He really hadn't believed I'd go through with it.

[00:10:47]The same way I never believed he'd betray me until I saw the post with my own eyes. The day I found Oliver, he was nothing but bones wrapped in gray fur.

[00:10:58]He'd been dumped in the weeds on the outskirts of Oakridge, barely breathing.

[00:11:02]I stood over him for a long time. If I walked away, he wouldn't survive the night. I never planned on keeping a beast man. I didn't realize there was beast man blood in him until I got him home. The vet frowned the entire time he examined him. A gray rabbit, miss?

[00:11:19]That's about as common as it gets. My guess is he's a reject, some lab's failed experiment. Even if he shifts into human form down the line, don't expect much in the looks department.

[00:11:30]Keeping a beast man is a real commitment. If you're going to dump him later because he's not pretty enough, better to walk away now.

[00:11:37]I'd already carried him home. That warning was a little late. I did regret it though, eventually. For the first 2 years, Oliver was constantly fighting for his life. I burned through expensive supplements and rare treatments like money didn't matter. The money I could stomach. What I couldn't afford was looking away. One careless moment and he'd stop breathing. Once he was strong enough, he shifted into human form. Then came the harder work, fixing what was broken inside. In the beginning, he was terrified of everything. He flinched at his own shadow. Never spoke louder than a whisper and was convinced he was hideous. I dragged him in front of a mirror and made him look. Eyes. Nose.

[00:12:24]Mouth. Oliver, there's nothing wrong with this face. And I'm only going to say it once.

[00:12:31]Stand up straight. Speak louder. You have a home now and you have me. Act like it. I taught him confidence. I taught him that he mattered. I taught him to want things and go after them. He learned every lesson. Bold enough to chase after Chloe. Willful enough to decide he wanted a different owner. He seemed to have forgotten where he came from. He didn't realize that everything I gave him, I could take away. Oliver hadn't moved. I kept my voice flat, ice cold. I didn't sell you out. I sold you to Chloe. So, technically, I kept it in the family.

[00:13:08]Besides, isn't this exactly what you wanted?

[00:13:11]The comments started flooding my screen again. Wait, I looked away for 2 seconds and the FL already bought a new beast man?

[00:13:18]And she's sending the bunny straight to Chloe?

[00:13:21]New, don't do it, babe. We told you the bunny has a phantom pregnancy. He didn't betray you at all.

[00:13:27]He's still a virgin. He's saved himself for you. Oliver just needs better guidance. He can't sort out his own feelings yet. He talks tough, but he's soft inside. He needs Hazel to be patient with him.

[00:13:40]Exactly. If you send him away now, there's no coming back from that. When he figures out his real feelings and comes crawling back, he'll think he's too tainted to deserve you. He'll camp outside your door and refuse to come in.

[00:13:54]And you'll be the one who can't take it.

[00:13:56]The silence stretched. When Oliver finally spoke, his voice was small, but stubborn. Do you really not care if I'm gone? Outside, Chloe must have gotten tired of waiting. She leaned on the horn, two sharp blasts. The noise split my skull open. I pressed my fingers between my brows, temples pounding. I was done. Get lost. Oliver flinched like I'd hit him. His ears quivered. His eyes were burning red. He held my gaze for one furious second, then turned and walked out. The engine noise faded down the street. The comments vanished with it. I sat there alone, staring at the screen. I don't know how long I sat there. When I finally stood, I went straight downstairs to the tank. I pulled the cloth off. The merman blinked against the light, then swept his dark blue tail and drifted toward me. He pressed his head to the glass where my hand rested, nuzzling my palm through the barrier. I hit the release switch. A panel slid open and water gushed out across the floor, dragging the merman with it. He landed in a gasping, tangled heap. I crouched beside him. What's your name?

[00:15:08]Gano.

[00:15:09]I need to blow off steam right now. I watched him from above, letting the choice sit with him. If you're okay with that, you stay.

[00:15:18]If you're not, I'll release you back into the ocean. Gano's lashes fluttered.

[00:15:23]He braced himself on his tail and the translucent fins along his ears flushed a slow, creeping pink. "You can do whatever you want with me." he whispered. "Just please be gentle." The carpet was soaked through. Where his weight pressed into it, water stains and red marks bloomed side by side. Gano was braced against the edge of the sofa, face turned away. His lashes wouldn't stop trembling. He couldn't bring himself to look at me. My fingers traced a line, ear fins, throat, the cut of his hips, and kept going, sliding past his waist. Gano went pale. His voice came out thin. "Hazel, you can pull out most of the scales on my tail, but that dark one, it's not I mean, you can but please don't. Please." "Okay." "The others grow back. That one won't." I stopped. My eyes found the scale he meant, the darkest one, near the base of his tail.

[00:16:18]The moment my palm closed over it, his whole body went rigid. Color flooded his face, then drained just as fast when he realized I wasn't letting go. Every time a sale fell through, the rats had ripped scales from his tail to take out their frustration. He gotten used to that kind of pain, the raw, bloody kind that healed. But that one scale was different. Pull it and the bleeding wouldn't stop, not ever. Maybe he thought I might be different. Maybe he'd been wrong again.

[00:16:49]He'd bitten clean through his lower lip.

[00:16:51]His fingers clawed into the carpet.

[00:16:53]Eventually his grip went slack. The fight left his face. Everything did. He just went blank. I leaned down. I kissed the scale. I pinned both his wrists above his head with one hand and turned his face toward me with the other. I kissed his eyelids. "Open your eyes.

[00:17:11]What are you thinking about?" Gano's eyes opened slowly, dazed and wet.

[00:17:16]sapphire blue, shimmering, something between a startled animal and sunlight through shallow water. I kept my voice even. Ever been kissed? Your seller said you were untouched. Was he telling the truth? Gano shook his head fast. Never.

[00:17:33]I've never kissed anyone. I licked the blood off his lip, let go of his jaw, and let my hand drift back down to the scale. There's something under the scale, Gano. Why don't you show me? His eyes went wide, stunned, helpless, flushed with a shyness he couldn't control. I smiled. What exactly did you think I meant by blowing off steam? He kissed like he was drowning, pulling me under with him. The merman stamina was inhuman, and the barbs, those lived up to the hype. He had zero technique, though. All raw instinct, no finesse, like being caught in a rip tide. He kept watching my face, clumsy and anxious, and trying so hard to get it right. I'm sorry, was I too much? Did I hurt you?

[00:18:20]I grabbed a fistful of his blond hair and yanked his head back. Obviously, it hurts. You've never done this before, so shut up and focus. Gano nodded, dead serious. His gaze dropped. Oh. By the end, my head was empty. Every thought, every feeling, all of it, gone. The last thought I had before I blacked out was simple. That $200,000 was worth every cent. A few days later, I had the old swimming pool out back drained and cleaned. It was big enough for Gano to swim properly. He did a few laps underwater, then surfaced right in front of me, eyes shining. Water streamed down his face, and he looked more alive than I'd ever seen him. I'm happy. His tail swayed behind him. Thank you, Hazel. I held my hand out. He pressed his cheek into my palm and kissed it once, twice, three times. "It's weird." I said, scratching under his chin. "You're more like a puppy than a fish." "A puppy?"

[00:19:24]Gano blinked. "What's that?" He'd been locked in a tank since the day they dragged him out of the ocean. Land was still mostly a mystery to him. "It's an animal." I said, "loyal to its owner.

[00:19:36]Wags its tail when it's happy." Gano glanced down at his own tail, still swaying beneath the surface. "Then I'm your puppy, Hazel." He said, completely serious. "Yes."

[00:19:50]I laughed, actually laughed, and beckoned him closer. I fastened a black collar around his neck, custom-made. It had a few functions built in, tracking, shock correction, alerts. Gano ran his fingers over it. Before he could ask, I cut him off. "It's a reward for the puppy."

[00:20:09]He beamed like I'd handed him the whole ocean. I watched him blow bubbles for a while, then stood to leave. My phone buzzed, a call from my mother. We hadn't spoken in months. I hesitated, then picked up. "Did you sell a beast man to Chloe?" No hello, no warm-up. "Hazel, I've told you a hundred times don't drag whatever you picked up in Pine Valley into this family. And don't you dare drag Chloe into it. I gave you a home.

[00:20:37]That should have been enough. I've never said a word about whatever mess you get yourself into on your own time."

[00:20:43]I set the phone on the ledge and let her go. The merman was still blowing bubbles. 10 minutes later, the lecture wound down. I picked it back up and gave her what she wanted. "Yes, Mom. Heard you loud and clear."

[00:20:57]I screenshotted the call log and sent it to Chloe. She transferred $50,000.

[00:21:03]She showed up at my place unannounced today and saw her rabbit. She went off.

[00:21:09]Blame the whole thing on you, obviously.

[00:21:11]You didn't say anything, right? I stared at the transfer. The corner of my mouth twitched. Would she believe me even if I did? Fair point. Fine, just take the money, you little extortionist.

[00:21:23]Oh, right. Your birthday's next Monday.

[00:21:26]I've got something I can't get out of that day, but Mom wanted me at some exhibition, so I told her I was going to your birthday instead. You're welcome.

[00:21:34]$20,000.

[00:21:36]On my birthday, same as every year, I drove out to Pine Valley and sat in front of my grandmother's grave with a slice of cake. I drove back home. The second I walked through the door, I knew someone was here who shouldn't be.

[00:21:50]Oliver was sitting on the sofa. The second he saw me, his ears shot straight up and his whole face lit up. He bounded over and shoved a bag into my hands.

[00:22:00]Birthday gift for you.

[00:22:02]You got mad at me last time because I gave Chloe a dress for her birthday, remember? I promised I'd get you one, too, and I did.

[00:22:10]I stared at the bag for a long moment.

[00:22:13]Then, against my better judgment, I took it. Growing up, the only people who'd ever shown up for my birthday were my grandmother and Oliver. I opened the bag. Inside, a cheap red dress had been wadded up and shoved to the bottom. The tag said $120.

[00:22:30]At Chloe's birthday party, the one Oliver had begged me to take him to, the gift he'd snuck to Chloe had also been a red dress. That one cost $20,000.

[00:22:41]He charged a $20,000 dress to the card I gave him, bought the dress behind my back, and handed it to Chloe like it was nothing. Hazel, you nickel and dime me for everything, so I always figured you were cheap. How come your best man is the generous one? A $20,000 dress, I'm impressed.

[00:23:00]Chloe had held the dress up for the whole table to see, grinning. Behind me, Oliver had gone very still. I didn't let anything show on my face except a thin smile. He is He's nothing like me, much more generous.

[00:23:16]Chloe wasn't done. But sweetie, I don't really do $20,000 dresses. Nothing in my closet goes for less than 200 grand. So, maybe save your money next time, okay?

[00:23:27]That same night, Chloe got wasted and insisted everyone stay over. I woke up in the middle of the night. Oliver's side of the room was empty. I was halfway to the door when he nearly crashed into me, flushed and breathless.

[00:23:41]"Where were you?" I asked. "And why did you have to hide the gift from me?"

[00:23:46]Oliver's voice went up a full octave.

[00:23:49]"It's just a dress. Why are you making such a big deal out of it? I saw it and thought it would look good on her, so I put on the card. If you wanted one that badly, you could have just said something. I would have gotten you one, too." He dodged the first question entirely. He'd gone to find Chloe, drunk, alone Chloe. And the dress he'd promised me? A $100 knockoff from a street stall. The second I took the bag, Oliver's confidence came roaring back.

[00:24:17]He circled me, nose twitching, and wrinkled his face. "You don't smell like smoke anymore, but what's this? Salt?

[00:24:25]Seawater?"

[00:24:26]He wrinkled his nose harder. "And something fishy. The whole house reeks of it." I shoved the bag back into his arms and walked upstairs without a word.

[00:24:36]Oliver stood frozen for a beat, then chased after me. "What are you doing?

[00:24:41]That's her gift. Why are you giving it back? Chloe doesn't wear $20,000 dresses."

[00:24:47]I stopped on the stairs and looked down at him. "I don't wear $100 ones, either.

[00:24:52]You know what, Oliver? For a rabbit, you sure know how to bite the hand that feeds you.

[00:24:58]Are you going to walk out or do I need to throw you out? Oliver clutched the bag to his chest. His face was scarlet, his eyes brimming. How can you be this shallow? Where was I supposed to get the money for an expensive dress? His voice cracked halfway through. He clamped his jaw shut, swallowed hard, and pushed on.

[00:25:18]"A hundred dollars is a lot for a dress.

[00:25:21]The guy at the stall said it was top quality. He was almost shouting. He said it was really, really nice. And it's the first present I've ever given you.

[00:25:31]Doesn't that mean anything?"

[00:25:33]He wouldn't let it go. I gave up and called security to escort him out. I went out to the pool. Gano was already waiting at the edge, watching for me.

[00:25:42]When I got close, his gaze dropped, suddenly shy. He held out both hands.

[00:25:48]Cupped in his palms was a handful of pearls, perfectly round, catching the light. "I overheard someone say it was your birthday, Hazel. I don't have anything else to give, but humans like pearls, don't they?"

[00:26:01]My god. I took the pearls from his hands. The rat dealer said you couldn't cry, said you couldn't make pearls.

[00:26:08]I didn't want to cry in front of them.

[00:26:10]"How long did you cry to make these?"

[00:26:12]"Not long, just one night." He hauled himself out of the pool and pressed his wet body against mine. "Is it not enough, Hazel? My eyes are a little dry right now, but I can cry more if you need me to."

[00:26:25]I brushed my thumb across the corner of Gano's eye. Something in my chest collapsed. Weeks slipped by. Oliver still hadn't given birth. Chloe couldn't have cared less. As far as she was concerned, the rabbit not having babies was the best possible outcome. With nowhere else to turn, Oliver posted an update. "My belly's a little swollen, but it's been a month and it's barely showing.

[00:26:50]Isn't a rabbit's pregnancy supposed to be like a month? Does anyone know what's happening to me? The post had died down weeks ago, but a few terminally online beast men replied instantly. Bro, you do know rabbits can have phantom pregnancies, right? Have you even been to a doctor? The update dragged old commenters back in droves. LMAO, so you betrayed your master. Thought you were pregnant with someone else's kid, and it's a phantom pregnancy?

[00:27:17]So, what happens now? Your new owner doesn't want you, and your old one already sold you. Where exactly are you going to go? My dude, you are spectacularly dumb.

[00:27:27]I've officially seen everything.

[00:27:29]Following for updates. The comment section exploded. Oliver stared at his phone, perfectly still. He remembered Chloe's birthday, the way she leaned in, drunk and reckless, eyes roaming over his face. "Want to come back to my room?" He nodded before he even knew what he was doing. He liked Chloe, a little. He knew that much. Chloe was everything Hazel wasn't. Loud, commanding, untouchable.

[00:27:57]She walked into a room like she owned it, and something in Oliver's brain had mistaken that for love. In the dim room, Chloe treated him like a toy. "God, you're so clueless. Has Hazel seriously never touched you?"

[00:28:12]Her voice was loose and airy, floating on the alcohol. "She won't be mad about this, will she? Whatever. If she is, I'll just throw some money at it."

[00:28:22]Something snapped in his head, a cold, sudden alarm. Fear crawled up from somewhere deep. Oliver scrambled out of the bed, skin crawling. "I I can't do this. I'm going back."

[00:28:36]They didn't do anything that night, and his pregnancy was never real. Oliver went pale reading the comments, but somewhere underneath the shock, there was no regret. He was almost relieved.

[00:28:49]That evening Chloe called. She was seething. "Sell, your damn rabbit says he's having a phantom pregnancy.

[00:28:57]I don't want him. Give me a refund."

[00:29:00]"All sales are final." I said. "You're past the return window."

[00:29:04]"Fine, forget the money. Just come get him.

[00:29:08]I can't deal with him.

[00:29:09]I've had enough." I rolled over, resting my head on Gano's stomach. "I don't want him, either." Chloe sucked in a breath.

[00:29:18]"Fine. Do whatever, but if you don't take him back, I'll find someone to deal with him. He's your beast man now, your problem."

[00:29:26]My free hand drifted back to Gano's scales, tracing them slow, pressing harder than lighter. I didn't stop until I heard his breath catch, then pulled away on purpose. "Anything else? If not, I'm hanging up. Kind of in the middle of something."

[00:29:43]"And if you call back, I'm billing you."

[00:29:45]Silence on the other end. Then, right before I hung up, I caught the sound of glass breaking. Chloe was swearing in the background. My hand went still on Gano's tail. "Did you have another beast man before me?" Gano asked. I sat up and gathered the small pearls Gano had just cried out. "One. A rabbit who decided he liked someone else better." Gano went quiet. I set the pearls on his chest one by one and smiled. "I don't forgive betrayal. So, if you ever turn on me, I'll make you wish you hadn't." "I won't." His gaze fell, lashes trembling.

[00:30:22]"I won't betray you, Hazel. If I do, I deserve whatever you do to me." I'd been pouring money into dark web leads for weeks, hunting for a potion that could turn a merman's tail into legs. I'd finally gotten a hit. The seller wanted to meet in person. The price wasn't just money. She also wanted a pearl, one cried from genuine emotion, and a scale.

[00:30:46]I brought everything. The seller turned out to be an old woman drowned in a black cloak. She examined the pearl and the scale for a long time before looking up. It's real.

[00:30:57]Rare thing these days, a merman willing to bond with a human.

[00:31:01]I said nothing. She rubbed the scale between her fingers, brought it to her nose, and inhaled. Her voice came out like gravel. So, it's him. Him? She said it like she recognized him. I stared at her. "Gano is royalty." The old woman said, "Merman royalty. But, the tribe's been isolated for so long that the royal line has branched out. This generation alone has four, maybe five heirs."

[00:31:29]He's somewhere in the middle. Not the eldest, not the youngest, nothing remarkable about his abilities. And merman are matriarchal. A prince with no standout talent. She shrugged. "Nobody pays attention. The tribe migrated recently. They hit rough waters partway through. The young ones all had escorts.

[00:31:49]All except Gano. He got swept away. It took his family forever to even notice a prince was gone."

[00:31:56]Word eventually made its way through the deep-sea network. Gano had drifted into shallow water, gotten disoriented, and been captured by land beast men. She paused. A gnarled hand emerged from the cloak, a clear vial lying in her palm.

[00:32:12]She smiled. "I was going to help them track him down, but it looks like he's already found someone worth staying with. Besides, the tribe stopped searching a while ago."

[00:32:22]I took the vial and frowned. "They stopped looking? If I hadn't found him by accident, he'd still be locked in that tank getting tortured by those rats." The old woman chuckled and brushed past me. "Didn't I just say it?

[00:32:36]No one cares about Gano.

[00:32:39]She glanced at the vial in my hand and her voice softened. For him, a pair of legs might end up meaning more than any tail ever did.

[00:32:48]I drove home with the vial in my pocket and the old woman's words stuck in my head. Before today, my logic had been simple. A merman with a tail was inconvenient. Legs would fix that. That was why I'd bought the potion. When the time came, I hadn't planned on asking his opinion. Too much freedom was dangerous with beast men. I didn't want to make that mistake again. But now I sat in the car turning the vial over in my fingers and hesitated. A fist banged against the car window. I looked up.

[00:33:20]Oliver, standing outside the car, eyes locked on mine, wounded, anxious, angry, all at once. I rolled the window down.

[00:33:31]Why are you here again?

[00:33:32]Oliver just stood there, lips pressed tight, staring at me. I wasn't in the mood for this. When he didn't speak, I reached for the window switch. I'm not pregnant with Chloe's baby. It's a phantom pregnancy.

[00:33:46]I I don't need to stay with her anymore.

[00:33:49]I want to come home.

[00:33:50]The words tumbled out of him, one over another. His hand shot out and caught the glass before it could close. His voice was shaking. I want to go home.

[00:34:00]The second he said it, the comments flooded my screen again. The same thing over and over. How I'd regret this. How Oliver deserved better. How my heart would break in the end. Like a broken record that wouldn't stop. I exhaled slowly. Then I smiled, the kind of smile that had nothing warm in it. I looked Oliver dead in the eyes. Do you know what that lab was working on? The one that threw you away. Male beast man pregnancy. That was the whole project.

[00:34:30]And you were the failed experiment. You can't get pregnant, Oliver. It's not possible. Not for you. I knew it was a phantom pregnancy from the start. The comments glitched, stuttered, scrambled into gibberish, then dissolved into a wall of question marks before vanishing entirely. The summer heat was brutal, but Oliver's face drained of color as if none of that heat could reach him. His voice came out hollow. Then why did you let me go to Chloe's? Why? I laughed.

[00:35:01]Oliver, you know exactly why. Don't tell me you've forgotten what happened the night of Chloe's birthday. Oliver's face cycled from chalk white to ashen. His fists balled at his sides. When he finally spoke, his voice was raw. It was an impulse. I wasn't thinking. He searched my face for anything, any crack. There was nothing. His head dropped. Fat tears rolled down his face, one after another. Please forgive me. I swear I'll never do it again. My silence gave him hope. He thought the tears were working like they always had before. You told me once, you said there were things I'd have to learn and you'd give me chances, room to mess up and be forgiven. I know I went too far this time, but I mean it. I've learned my lesson. Hazel, let me come home. Please.

[00:35:53]I was so wound up I needed a cigarette.

[00:35:56]My hand went to my pocket, empty. Right.

[00:35:59]Every pack I'd bought recently Danno had accidentally drenched with a flick of his tail, eyes wide, face perfectly innocent. After a few ruined packs, I'd stopped buying them. Perfect. No cigarettes when I actually needed one.

[00:36:15]My jaw was tight. Everything about my face said not to push me. You went after Chloe because you think she's better than me. The golden firstborn. Daddy's heir. The one everybody sees.

[00:36:28]I paused. And I'm just the second daughter nobody wanted.

[00:36:32]I can live with the rest of the world thinking Chloe is better than me, but not you.

[00:36:38]I saved your life. Everything you have, I gave you.

[00:36:42]My voice went cold. And you still picked her. Just like everyone else.

[00:36:47]What a joke. That hit a nerve. Oliver's voice shot up. Then what about you? You treated me like property. You picked me up off the street. You didn't pay a cent for me. But you turn around and sold me for $200,000.

[00:37:02]Don't. Don't act like you're innocent in all this. I let the silence stretch. I didn't bother looking at him again. I started the car and drove off. Oliver tried to follow. The gate shut him out.

[00:37:15]All those years I'd spent raising him.

[00:37:18]Potions alone had run me over a million.

[00:37:20]I'd asked for $200,000 because I was furious. A fraction of what I'd spent. A number pulled from spite. And now he was throwing it in my face like it proved I was the villain. I'd barely parked when Chloe called. The dealer I called from the Beast Man resale market is here. But he says there's no Beast Man at the house. If the rabbit's with you, I'll send someone over.

[00:37:44]I watched the dashboard lights fade to black. A heavy beat of silence passed.

[00:37:49]Yeah. He's at the gate. They can pick him up. I went inside. Gano was floating in the pool. Completely oblivious.

[00:37:57]Batting around the jellyfish I'd bought him. He'd marked them with waterproof colors. Bright pinks and blues bobbing through the water. And was whacking them around with his tail like they were soccer balls. I stood in the doorway and watched. The knot in my chest slowly loosened. Gano was simple. Not stupid.

[00:38:16]Just uncomplicated. You were good to him, he was good to you. That was the whole equation. Two jellyfish made him happy. One jellyfish made him just as happy. He'd figured out I liked how he looked, so he groomed himself carefully every single day. His entire world was a swimming pool, and he never once complained. I walked to the pool's edge and set the vial down beside me. Gano.

[00:38:42]He swam over without hesitation. I pointed at the vial. This potion can give you legs.

[00:38:49]Gano's eyes went wide. That's the sea witch's potion. The sea witch. She's a legend among our kind. They say she guides every lost merman home to the tribe. She's our guardian.

[00:39:02]Gano took the vial and brought it straight to his lips. I caught him by the wrist. Wait. The sea witch told me something. I was quiet for a moment.

[00:39:12]Then I told him the truth. When I was born, my parents were building their empire. They didn't have time for two kids. So they kept Chloe and sent me to live with my grandmother.

[00:39:24]My grandmother died a few years ago.

[00:39:26]That's when my parents finally brought me home. The funny part, when I got there, I realized they'd had plenty of time for years. Their careers had stabilized ages ago. They just didn't want me back. Chloe got groomed for the family business. I got told to go do whatever.

[00:39:43]In my own family, I was a stranger. In their world, I didn't exist.

[00:39:48]Everyone who mattered chose Chloe over me. Everyone except my grandmother.

[00:39:54]I laughed. The kind that isn't funny at all. My mother spent every day convinced I was some kind of bad influence.

[00:40:01]Terrified I'd contaminate her precious Chloe. Even knowing all that, and I've known for a long, long time, I still couldn't stop wanting them to love me.

[00:40:10]Gano watched me without a word.

[00:40:12]Something moved behind those blue eyes.

[00:40:15]Something I couldn't read. I studied myself. Gano, if you want to go back to your family, to your tribe, you don't have to drink this. The choice is yours.

[00:40:25]Gano blinked at me, then licked his lips. The vial was floating on the water, empty. One of the jellyfish had already nudged it to the far end of the pool. He glanced back at it, pointed, and shrugged. "Oh, I already drank it."

[00:40:41]I'd spent all that time circling around my sad little backstory just to give him a choice he'd already made. The second I let go of his wrist, he tipped it back and down the whole thing. Apparently, even holding a vial was too much work. I stared at the empty vial floating away.

[00:40:59]My face gave nothing away, but inside I was recalibrating everything. The silence between us was almost funny.

[00:41:06]After a beat, Gano blinked. "So, this potion, it gives a merman legs, but if I touch water, the tail comes back.

[00:41:15]It's not permanent." His eyes curved into crescents when he smiled. "And I don't want to go back to the tribe, at all."

[00:41:23]Oh, so I'd been sentimental for nothing.

[00:41:26]I'd imagined a whole dramatic scenario that didn't exist. I was a complete clown. I turned away. Gano's voice came close to my ear, warm and teasing. "Hm?

[00:41:38]Why are you blushing, Hazel?"

[00:41:40]Oliver had fought his way free of the dealers and slipped into Hazel's courtyard. This was what he walked in on. He'd heard everything Hazel said. He stood frozen where he was. Everything inside him collapsed at once. Grief, anger, hope, all of it gone. Behind him, the dealers were closing in. Oliver didn't run. He finally understood what Hazel had meant. Why everyone could choose Chloe over her. Everyone except him. Because in Hazel's entire life, only two people ever counted as family, her grandmother and him. Everyone in her life had told her she wasn't enough. Her parents, the world around her, all of them. And now, so had he. Oliver's chest seized. He couldn't breathe right.

[00:42:28]Understanding it didn't help. He didn't want to watch Hazel with the merman. He couldn't stop. His eyes stayed on her, refusing to let go, even for a second.

[00:42:38]They caught him, pinned him to the ground, jabbed a needle into his neck that forced him back into rabbit form.

[00:42:45]They locked him in an iron crate. He kept his eyes open until the last sliver of Hazel disappeared from view. Only then did he close them. I didn't know any of it. Not a thing that happened in the courtyard reached me. But as Oliver was dragged away, the merman sitting in front of me, sweet, obedient, head tilted, smiling, let his gaze drift past my shoulder for just a moment. A look I'd never seen on him, cold, full of contempt, and gone before I could have noticed.

[00:43:16]>> The moral of today's story is, if your rabbit says he's pregnant after two kisses, don't start planning a baby shower, start planning a doctor's appointment. Also, if someone spends years saving your life, maybe don't sneak off and try to upgrade to their cooler sister. That's not a love triangle, that's a speed run to getting sold on the beastman marketplace.

[00:43:38]Meanwhile, Gano the merman proved that the secret to winning someone's heart is simple. Be loyal, be pretty, cry valuable pearls, and never make your owner question her life choices. And Oliver, he learned the hardest lesson of all. When you're the only person someone chooses, don't audition to become another person who didn't. One rabbit fumbled a mansion, a family, and unconditional love because he confused a crush with destiny. The fish showed up, played with jellyfish, cried some pearls, and accidentally became the main character. Stay hydrated, stay loyal, and for the love of all things fluffy, learn what a phantom pregnancy is before posting online.